To stow something is to pack it away tidily into a space, out of the way, until you need it again. Two ideas live inside it at once, and both matter: it is put away, and it is put away neatly and securely, in a place chosen for it. If you shove your bag under the seat in a hurry you have not really stowed it; if you fold it and slide it into the right space so it will not move, you have.

To stow something is to pack it away tidily into a spacestow一個東西指的是把它整齊地收進一個空間裡, out of the way不擋路, until you need it again直到你下次需要用到它。Two ideas live inside it at once, and both matter這個字同時包含兩個概念，而且都很重要: it is put away一是東西被收起來了, and it is put away neatly and securely二是它被收得整齊又牢固, in a place chosen for it放在一個特別為它挑好的位置。If you shove your bag under the seat in a hurry如果你匆匆忙忙把包包塞到座位下 you have not really stowed it那還不算真的stow了它; if you fold it and slide it into the right space so it will not move但如果你把它摺好、滑進正確的空間讓它不會移動, you have那就算是了。

It comes from the sea, and it still smells of it. Sailors stow cargo in the hold and stow the sails; the word is everywhere in ships and boats, and it spread from there to planes and trains. That is why the one place every learner will certainly meet it is on an aeroplane: "Please stow your baggage in the overhead lockers" and "tray tables stowed for landing".

It comes from the sea這個字源自航海, and it still smells of it而且到現在還帶著那個味道。Sailors stow cargo in the hold and stow the sails水手會把貨物stow進船艙、也會stow船帆; the word is everywhere in ships and boats這個字在船隻的世界裡到處都是, and it spread from there to planes and trains然後從那裡擴散到飛機和火車上。That is why the one place every learner will certainly meet it is on an aeroplane這就是為什麼每個學英文的人一定會在飛機上遇到它: "Please stow your baggage in the overhead lockers"「請將行李stow進上方置物櫃」 and "tray tables stowed for landing".以及「降落前請將餐桌收好stowed」。

In that announcement voice it is completely ordinary. In everyday home conversation it is a bit formal — you would more likely say put away or pack away — though "stow it in the garage" sounds perfectly natural to plenty of people.

In that announcement voice在那種機艙廣播的語氣裡, it is completely ordinary這個字完全是稀鬆平常的。In everyday home conversation it is a bit formal在日常家裡的對話中它就有點正式了 — you would more likely say put away or pack away你比較可能會說put away或pack away — though "stow it in the garage" sounds perfectly natural to plenty of people不過對很多人來說「stow it in the garage」聽起來也完全自然。

Two phrases are worth knowing. A stowaway is someone who hides on a ship or plane to travel without paying — the person who has stowed themselves away. And "stow it!" is old slang for "be quiet, stop that", which you will only meet in older books or films.

Two phrases are worth knowing.有兩個片語值得認識。A stowaway is someone who hides on a ship or plane to travel without payingstowaway指的是躲在船上或飛機上、不付錢就搭便車的人 — the person who has stowed themselves away也就是把自己stow起來藏好的人。And "stow it!" is old slang for "be quiet, stop that"而「stow it!」是老式俚語，意思是「安靜、別再這樣了」, which you will only meet in older books or films你只會在比較老的書或電影裡遇到。

The noun form, meaning a place, is not something you need — you will only ever see it inside old English place names ending in -stow.

The noun form, meaning a place, is not something you need這個字當名詞用、指「一個地方」的用法，你不太需要知道 — you will only ever see it inside old English place names ending in -stow你只會在一些以-stow結尾的古老英國地名裡看到它。